Three bridges to Pleasure Island better than two

GCM Staff
Posted 9/2/21

We applaud Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon’s announcement that he and the private owners of the Beach Express toll bridge have major plans for capacity expansion. The reported plans include …

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Three bridges to Pleasure Island better than two

Posted

We applaud Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon’s announcement that he and the private owners of the Beach Express toll bridge have major plans for capacity expansion. The reported plans include increasing the number of toll booths and adding two more lanes in an expanded bridge/toll complex.

Also, plans for the existing toll bridge include offering new reduced rates for locals purchasing monthly passes.

Mayor Kennon’s plans will be good for both locals and the millions of Pleasure Island visitors whose biggest complaint about their stays at the beach involve traffic problems.

The mayor and the bridge company’s plans are welcomed improvements and we encourage them to proceed as quickly as possible.

At the same time, we do not believe the improvements to the toll bridge should impede the long-planned and overdue addition of another ALDOT funded bridge, between the two existing bridges, crossing the inland waterway and offloading passengers near the border between Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

Our area generates more state tax dollars each year than are spent back on Baldwin County. Local leaders should welcome the plans to spend millions of state dollars on bridge infrastructure in Baldwin that will improve the tourist experience and provide an additional northern evacuation route off the Island in the case of approaching severe weather.

The plans for the Beach Express toll expansion are welcome improvements. So are plans for an additional free-access state funded bridge.

We say, bring on both plans. Three bridges to Pleasure Island will undoubtedly be better than two.